4.02
Part 04 · The craft · Framing
Angle and distance
Flat things from straight above, tall things from the side.
- A fridge shelf. Straight on, eye level with the shelf, so you see the front of every package.
- A pantry section. Straight on, one section at a time. Depth hides things; width does not.
- A drawer. Directly above, drawer fully open, everything lying flat.
- A cookbook page or a receipt. Directly above. Any tilt bends the text.
- A flat plated dish. Directly above, showing the whole composition.
- A burger, a layer cake, a bowl of soup. 45 degrees, or straight on. Height disappears from above.
- A single package or label. Straight on to the label, close. The text is the point.
4.02.1
Distance
Close enough that the subject fills the frame, far enough that nothing is cut off. If you are unsure, take one step back. You can crop later, but you cannot add back what was outside the frame.
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Do not use digital zoomPinching to zoom on a phone throws away detail. Walk closer instead.